New York: Random House, 1998. First Edition, First Printing. . Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine. One of Vidal's later works, set in Washington, D.C., in 1939 and featuring math prodigy "T," mysteriously summoned by the government to the Smithsonian Institution where a crash program to develop an atomic bomb is underway in the basement; like other Vidal "inventions," such as Myra Breckinridge" and "Duluth," it is serious comedy skillfully written. Faint previous owner's signature and date on front end page, o/w boards and text are clean, tight, square in near perfect dustjacket. Collectable.

Synopsis

It's 1939, and a teenage math genius is mysteriously summoned to the Smithsonian Institution, where a crash program to develop the atomic bomb is being conducted in the basement. The boy turns out to hold the key to both the secrets of nuclear fission and breakthroughs in the time continuum. As he brainstorms with Robert Oppenheimer, he catches a glimpse of the coming war and becomes determined to ward off the cataclysm. In a race against time-and surrounded by figures from American history past and present, including Albert Einstein, Grover Cleveland, and Abraham Lincoln-he battles to save not just himself, but humanity. Gore Vidal has written some of the finest and most inventive novels in modern times. Readers of such bestsellers as Burr, Lincoln, Duluth, and 1876 will revel in this, his latest foray into the American scene. A brilliant and vividly imaginative tale about some of the key events of the twentieth century, The Smithsonian Institution is a dramatic masterwork of comedy and allusion.

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Details

Bookseller: H.W. Gumaer, Bookseller (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 002701
Title: THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Author: Vidal, Gore
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Near Fine
Jacket Condition: Fine
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: First Edition, First Printing.
ISBN 10: 0375501215
ISBN 13: 9780375501210
Publisher: Random House
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1998
Keywords: MODERN NOVEL, FIRST EDITION, HISTORICAL FICTION, COMEDY, 1939, WASHINGTON, D.C., SATIRE
Bookseller catalogs: Modern Novel; Humor; Fine Literature;

Terms of Sale

H.W. Gumaer, Bookseller

All books subject to prior sale. All books returnable within two weeks for any reason. Please return by USPS (media mail rate) and note the reason for return. All sales subject to applicable taxes.

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H.W. Gumaer, Bookseller

This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.

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Canandaigua, New York

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About H.W. Gumaer, Bookseller

H.W. Gumaer, Bookseller, has been serving customers on the internet since 2003. We specialize in modern American and English fiction and in mystery and detective thrillers, as well as art and art history. We also have a growing selection of mid-to-late 19th century history and literature. Nearly all our modern and contemporary books are first editions or otherwise collectable.

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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

O/W: An abbreviation for otherwise
First Edition: In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Tight: Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.